'Super-impressive' - Ewen Ferguson on lone bogey-free round teeing up high Troon finish

After compiling the only bogey-free effort as he signed for a 70 on Saturday, the Dubai-based Bearsden man signed off with an equally-pleasing 71 to finish with a four-over-par total at the Ayrshire venue. It left him close to the top 20 and top Scot after finishing ahead of amateur Calum Scott (eight over) and Bob MacIntyre (nine over).

“I was saying that I thought I was heading home on Friday, but in the back of my mind I always thought I had a chance,” insisted Ferguson as he reflected on his week’s work. “After making that birdie on the 36th hole, I was praying I would make the cut as it gave me such a spring in my step.

“To get over that first hurdle of making a cut in a major was great and to then be bogey-free - the only player in the field to do so - yesterday was super-impressive as not a lot of people can say they’ve done that.

“Then today it was so cold at the start. I hit driver at one and two just trying to thread the needle each time as it was so tight. I felt like I could have finished in the top ten and that’s what I was going for out there. “I thought if I’d shot three under, I’d be in with a chance and, having done quite well again today, I’m proud of myself.”

Rightly so because this eye-catching effort came hot on the heels of a brilliant third DP World Tour title triumph in the BMW International Open in Germany a fortnight ago.

“I think Munich was big for me because there was so many people out watching there and shouting and stuff like that,” he added, having boosted his hopes of joining MacIntyre on the PGA Tour next year by picking up another big chunk of points towards the Race to Dubai.

“It was the first time I’d really had that and the calibre of the field was strong. Jordan Smith is a really good player but I remember looking up at the leaderboard and seeing Thomas Pieters and Patrick Reed on it and thinking ‘I can’t be the one surely to get over the line here’ but I did and that has given me big belief.”

Referring to a missed cut sandwiched between Munich and Troon, he said: “In the Scottish Open, I could not focus at all. I was hitting 30-footers that were missing wide by six feet. I was playing a little bit of watchball there watching other guys and was not myself at all on the first day.

“I was back to normal a little bit on the second day but it was too late as the damage was done and I was itching to go this week. I didn’t come too early, having learned from doing that last year.

“This time I played practice rounds on my own as I would in any tournament whereas last year I was trying to put my name on the practice sheet with the stars. This year, I was like ‘I want to play with them on Sunday coming down the stretch not in practice rounds’.

“As a result of that, I felt as though I had energy on the last nine holes rather than feeling tired out by playing in a practice round with a superstar.”